


Electromagnetic Resonance

by kimberleigh



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-05-03 18:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5301380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimberleigh/pseuds/kimberleigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the run and desperate, Ash Miller asks Melinda May for help. To Melinda she is a reminder of the worst day in her past. Can they work together and save themselves?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Electromagnetic Resonance

Keep moving. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Keep moving.

The words repeated themselves in Ash’s head. Everything was burning. Her legs, her lungs. But she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t, not if she wanted to survive.

They were close behind her, she could feel it. It was so dark, no moon or stars to guide her. But she had a few tricks that helped her keep her feet as she trampled through the underbrush.

They were one of the few things she had going for her at the moment. If she could just find the horseback trail that she knew was close by. If she did, she knew that she would be able to lose her pursuers.

Keep moving. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Keep moving.

\---

  
The uniformed agent lead Ash down a hallway and stopped in front of a random door.

“Come in.” A voice called out when the agent knocked. The door opened into a comfortable living room, Sunlight streamed through the windows on the far wall. A well dressed woman stood next to a chair. Ash was instantly jealous of her sleek black hair.

“You must be Ashley.” The woman moved forward and shook her hand. “You can go Lyle, I’ve got it from here.” The Agent withdrew, closing the door softly behind him.

“Come sit. Would you like some tea?”

“Sure, that would be nice.” In the last 24 hours, her whole life had been turned upside down, but tea was still constant.

“My name is Rebecca, I’ll be your advisor while you’re here with us. I thought we should get to know one another.” Ash took the cup Rebecca offered her. “So tell me a little about yourself Ashley.”

“Well, I hate the name Ashley. THere were three other Ashley’s in my grade. For awhile in the first grade, I thought my name was actually Ashley M.”

“Is there something better to call you? We don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Ash. It's what my dad calls me.”

“Alright, I’ll make a note of it in your file.” Rebecca sipped her tea. “I understand you just had a birthday. So you're how old now?”

“14. Some birthday present this is. Happy birthday Ash, we’re sending you to boarding school. She just dropped me off, didn’t even say goodbye.”

“Your mother?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m sure she didn’t mean it. She’ll be here on visiting day.”

“I doubt it. Now that she’s finally rid of me, she won’t be back. And don’t lie to me and say she will. I hate being lied to.”

“Ash I can promise you right now, I will never lie to you.”

\---

“Blips?” Melinda raised an eyebrow at Coulson. “You want us to investigate some blips?”

Coulson just nodded. “Yes. There’s been a series of small electromagnetic disturbances. Doesn’t seem to be a reason for it, but there had been several of them and they’re moving east.”

“And you think it might be another powered individual?”

“Maybe. That’s why I want you two to go and investigate.”

Melinda smiled a tiny smile. “Okay, we’ll go check out your blips.”

\---

The hostel she rented a room in left alot to be desired, but the guy on the desk hadn’t looked too closely at her fake id and she had her own bathroom. She wasn’t going to complain.

She had burned through most of her meager savings, but it couldn’t be helped. She could get more cash if she needed.

The little old lady at the thrift store had been very sweet, giving her a good deal on the clothes she bought. She had all but pushed the books into her hands.

Stuffing her uniform in the trash, Ash stood in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, cheap dollar store scissors in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she held out a lock of her bright curly red hair. It took her several more deep breaths before she was able to make the first cut. The second cut was easier.

When it was all over, she didn’t recognize the person in the mirror. And she hoped her pursuers wouldn’t either.

 ---

_September 25_

_Can’t believe that I just spent 5 bucks on this shitty cup of coffee. How can a town not have a Starbucks? I thought it was a federal law or something. But at least I blend in here, just another sullen teenager on her phone._

_I’m starting to realize that maybe I didn’t think this through as well as I should have. Not that I had much time._

_I miss my dad. He would know what to do. But I can’t call. There’ll be a retention team at the house by now. I know it. Siitting in wait until I make the mistake of calling or just turning up._

_Gotta go. I think they might have found me._

\---

Her bag hit the ground and Ash followed a moment later, cursing her wide birthing hips the whole time. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the alley behind the coffee shop, and she whispered thanks to the universe for that.

Making herself as small as she could, she made her way down the alley and into the midday crowd. She was almost around the corner and out of sight when she heard someone shout behind her.

Looking back she saw the couple she had noticed in the coffee shop. She was right, they were not a couple out on a date. Getting out of an suv behind them were two guards dressed in black body armour. They started running towards her, quickly closing the gap.

“Oh fuck.” Ash thought as she put her head down and sprinted off again.

\---

“So, you think this was all just a wild goose chase?” Trip asked as he put his monitor back in his jacket pocket.

“I think Coulson is getting tired of us sitting around doing nothing, so he’s making work for us.” Melinda shook her head. “No residual readings, nothing weird or out of the norm. I think he just wanted us out of his hair for the afternoon.”

Melinda was about to turn and follow Trip back to their suv when someone collided into her hard enough to almost knock her off her feet. She gently grabbed the arm of a young woman. She looked scared and ready to bolt.

“Are you okay?” Melinda asked, watching as the girl debated internally if she could trust her.

“If they catch me, they’ll kill me.” She was breathless and frantic. “Please, you have to help me.”

“Who’s they?” Melinda asked, loosening her grip. She gave her the option of running, but she didn’t.

“Them.” She replied as the two men in black came around the corner. Melinda quickly took them in and made a decision.

“Okay. Come with me.” Melinda took her arm again, leading her down another alley towards another black suv parked at the end of the lane..

“Agent Koenig, we seemed to have acquired some company. If you could provide a distraction.” Melinda didn’t stop moving as she waiting for a response

A few moments later, there was a large commotion on the street behind them. Melinda didn’t look back.

She opened the back door for her new charge before climbing into the driver’s seat. Trip watching everything with a smile on his face.

“Agent May, are you picking up strays now too?” he asked.

“She asked for help.” Melinda put the car in gear and they peeled off.

Trip turned in his seat and regarded their passenger. He stuck out his hand.

“My name’s Antoine, but you can call me Trip. Everyone does. What’s your name?”

“Ash.” she says, taking his hand to shake it. Melinda glanced in the rearview mirror and watched her face relax a bit. Trip was always good at putting people at ease.

“Nice to meet you Ash. This is Agent May. She'll warm up once she gets to know you.`Melinda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He’s not wrong though, she thinks to herself. The beginning of their relationship was rocky to say the least, but over time, it had gotten better and now Trip was one of the few agents she could trust implicitly to have her back, no matter the situation.

“We have a bit of a drive ahead of us, so relax if you can. You’re safe.” Trip handed her a bottle. “Water?”

Ash took it. “Thanks.”

When Melinda looked in the rearview mirror ten minutes later, Ash was asleep.

\---

“I still don’t understand what you intend to accomplish with all this. It seems like an unnecessary bit of theatre.” Rebecca smoothed out the wrinkles in her dark blue skirt. She sat on the opposite side of a large glass desk. The man opposite her was blandly handsome. He took a sip of the gin and tonic that she had made for him. When he smiled, he reminded her of a shark. It gave her a shiver.

“Possibly, but it makes it that much better. Amp up the fear, and back her into a place where she’s desperate and out of options. That’s when we’ll see what she’s truly made of. And once we know that, controlling her is easy.”

“But why her? It's not like we’re short of willing participants.”

“What can I say, I like the look of her.”

\---

“Ash, it's time to wake up. We’re here.”

  
Melinda puts her hand on her shoulder and Ash starts awake. For a moment there is no recognition on her face, but Melinda just waits as Ash puts together what happened over the last few hours.

“And where is here?” She asks with a yawn as she gets out of the vehicle and scans her surroundings. More dark suvs and town car. Must be a garage, but it was the size of a hanger.

“We call it The Playground. Currently we’re in Massachusetts, but about a hundred feet through that door, and you’ll be in New York.” She looks where Trip is pointing and sees a man walking through the door and coming straight towards them.

“Oh.” Ash doesn’t know what else to say.

When he finally reaches them, he gives Melinda a look before turning to Ash and smiling.

“I’m Director Coulson.” He says, holding out his hand. “Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

\---

They sat in Rebecca’s well appointed quarters. Over the past few years, Ash had spent a lot of time in this room. There’s a pot of tea on the table between them and Rebecca pours them both a cup. She smiles as Ash adds several spoonfuls of sugar to hers.

“So, you’re 17 now?”

“Yep.”

“One more year and you graduate. Any thoughts about what you might want to do after?” Ash sighed. She had nothing but thoughts. Day dreams to be more specific. But she knew that they were unlikely to come true.

“I don't know. Everything seems unattainable right now.”

“well, I don’t want to push you to make a decision if you’re not ready, but can I tell you about something that I think you might be interested in?”

“Sure.” She sipped her tea.

“There’s a group, working to make the world a better place, both for people with powers and without. They’re called The Black Guard and they can offer you a good life. Many of our graduates go on to take positions in the guard. With your powers, I think you would be a perfect fit.”

“I’ve never heard of them before.”

“Well, they are on the more secret side of things.” Rebecca replies. “Nothing illegal, if that worries you.”

“Oh, okay.” Ash wasn’t sure if it did or not.

“I only bring it up because if it’s something you might be interested in, we need to know before the next semester starts. There are special courses that you would have to take.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course, just don’t think too long.” Rebecca reaches for one of the cookies on the plate next to the tea pot. “ So tell me, how are your classes going?”

\---

“So, let’s begin with your name.” Coulson pulls a tablet out of a desk drawer.

They might have been sitting in the Director’s office, but Ash knew an interrogation when she was in one.

Coulson stood in front of his desk, Melinda off to the side by the door. Ash had no doubt they were going to talk about her once she was finally allowed to leave.

“Ashley Lyn Miller.”

“But you prefer to be called Ash?” He asked, pointing towards the opposite wall.

“Yeah, I hate the name…” She trailed off as screens of information flicker to life in the air in front of her. It felt like she was watching her life flash before her eyes. “Ashley.”

“Born April first, the man on your birth certificate as your father is not your biological father. I’m sure there’s a story there, but I won’t ask you about it tonight.” The bard of laughter escapes her mouth before she can stop it. But she says nothing.

“At 14, you were enrolled in The New Brighton Academy. A boarding school for powered children.”

“Yes, my mom said she couldn’t take the stress of having me around anymore.”

Coulson makes note of Ash’s pointed comment but doesn’t mention it.

“So, tell me about your powers.”

“I can sense and control electromagnetic energy. Anything from sound waves to radiation. When I arrived at the compound I had a really hard time controlling it. They taught me how to do that, and I understand them much better now.”

“So why did you run away?” That was the first thing Melinda said since they arrived in Coulson’s office. Ash had almost forgotten she was there. She turned in her chair to look at Melinda.

“Because they wanted me to do something horrific. I couldn’t do it, but if refused they would have killed me. So I ran.”

“And what did they ask you to do?” She turned back to Coulson. He had a curious look on his face

“Something that would have killed hundreds of innocent people.” Ash crossed her arms over her chest. Not in defiance, but to protect herself. Melinda could see her closing in on herself and she knew they wouldn’t get much more out of her right then. She sent Coulson a look that said as much. He nodded.

There was a knock on the door.

“You asked to see me?”

“Agent Morse, this is Ash Miller. She’s going to be staying with us for awhile. Can you show her around, make sure she gets some dinner and a shower.”

“Sure, no problem.” She smiled at Ash.

“I’m going to make arrangements with our science team for tomorrow. “Coulson said. “I’d like to get a better idea of what you’re capable of in a controlled environment. Is that alright?”

“Sure okay.” She replied. “Any chance of some clean clothes?”

“Agent Morse?”

“Of yeah, we’ll find you something.”

\---

The room Agent Morse showed Ash to was hardly more than a cell. Actually Ash had a sneaking suspicion that it was a cell.

“Sorry about the accommodations, we’re kind of short on space. Camera’s are off and the door won’t be locked so you can come and go as you like. If you want, I can show you around after your shower.”

“I’d like that. Thank you Agent Morse.”

“Please, call me Bobbi.”

“Okay, thanks Bobbi.”

\---

Ash had never been more thankful for hot running water as she was when she stepped into the shower spray.

As she showered, her mind worked through recent events. She had left the compound Monday night, which would make it Wednesday afternoon. She wondered if her dad still taught classes late on wednesday. She pushed that thought away as soon as it popped up. She refused to cry, at least where she could be seen.

Wrapping up in a towel, she found Bobbi sitting on a bench next to a pile of clothes.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I got a little of everything.” She explained. “I also took your clothes down to the laundry. Someone will take them to your room when they’re done.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Ash sorted through the clothes. She finally settled on a dark pencil skirt, black shirt and an argyle cardigan. She passed over all the shoes Bobbi had brought for her in favour of a pair of dark red doc martens that fit her like a glove.

“Can I ask you a question?” Bobbie asked as she dressed.

“Sure.”

“Is that your real hair? Because I don’t think I’ve seen hair that colour and that curly outside of a Disney cartoon.” Ash ran her hand over her recently shorn hair.

“Yeah, it’s real. It suits my freckles and pasty complexion quite well I think.” She smiled.

“How long was it before you cut it off?”

“Almost half way down my back. Once I was far enough away, I took a crappy pair of scissors to it. It's hard to hide when you have Merida hair. Does it look that bad?”

“No, it's just a bit uneven. I know someone who can fix it if you want.”

“I would like that. Thank you for being so nice to me.” She sat down on the bench to do up her new boots.

“It's the least I can do. I know what it's like to leave something with nothing but what you can carry, to leave everything behind. So if I can help make it better for someone else, I will.” She gives Ash another one of her smiles. “Come on, let's get your hair fixed then grab some dinner. Mack said something about making ribs.”

\---

Melinda closed the door after Bobbi left with Ash.

“So, what do you think?” Coulson asked, sitting down behind his desk. He looked tired.

“There’s more to her story than what she’s willing to tell us at the moment. And she’s been through a lot of trauma. What the hell did she go through at that school?” Melinda sat down in the chair that Ash had recently vacated.

Coulson shrugged his shoulders. On paper, New Brighton was a model organization. Which meant they had to be hiding something.

“Are you thinking she might be a good fit for the little team you and Skye are putting together?” Melinda smirked at his surprised face. Technically she wasn’t suppose to know about it, but Skye was bad at keeping secrets.

“Maybe.” Coulson replied, making a mental note to talk to Skye. “Depends on what happens in the lab tomorrow. So why her Melinda?”

“I don’t know Phil. When she ran into me, she was terrified. I couldn’t leave her on her own.”

“You don’t have to spend your whole life making amends for Kayta.”{ His voice was soft, but Melinda shook her head.

“Maybe when I stop seeing her every night I’ll be able to stop. Maybe not even then.” She stood and left the room, leaving Coulson with a sad look on his face.

\---

Dinner that night was a noisy affair, but it often was. Melinda sat at a table on the far side of the kitchen, away from the worst of the chaos, but where she could still see.

Bobbi had sat Ash between herself and Trip, and Melinda was glad. They both had a way of making people feel instantly at ease. Something that she herself had lost the ability to do long ago.

But she could tell that Ash wasn’t as comfortable as she was letting on. There were times when she jumped at Mack’s loud laugh or other loud noise. And she seemed to shy away whenever she thought someone might touch her. It made Melinda sick to think that someone had hurt her so thoroughly.

She heard Trip make a bad pokemon joke, and even though she rolled her eyes, Ash smiled a little. So maybe it wasn’t all hopeless.

\---

Three weeks into the new semester, Ash met Rebecca, her stomach in knots the whole time.

“I don’t think I can do this. I’m not cut out to be a soldier.” She was near tears as she took the mug of tea from Rebecca.

“All of your instructors are saying you’re doing well. Excelling actually. I know the program is difficult, but I have faith you can do it.” Rebecca replied. “And you don’t have to become a soldier, The Guard has many different support positions. Let me arrange a meeting with Agent Williams, she’s in charge of recruitment. I’m sure, between the three of us, we can find something that would be a better fit. But you still have to take the combat classes, they are mandatory.”

“Okay.” Ash sipped her tea, trying to calm her nerves, willing the energy in her arms and chest to go away.

“Give it till the end of the semester, and if it still isn’t working, we can decide what to do then.”

“Alright.” Ash replied, not feeling any better.

\---

A knock on the door woke Ash from her sleep. Untangling herself from the bed covers she stumbled to the door, yawning widely. She opened the door and was met by Agent May. She looked about as rested as Ash felt, which was not much.

“Coulson asked me to show you to the science lab. We can stop and get some breakfast first if you would like.”

“Okay, let me get dressed.”

“Don’t take too long.”

May was silent as she led Ash to the lab. Ash followed along behind her, not saying anything either. The nightmares from the night before weighed heavy on her. Every time the same thing. A room so cold she could feel herself freezing to death. White rats and black cats and a pair of clear hazel eyes. The eyes were the worst, no matter what else happened in the dream, she could never get away from those eyes.

Jemma and Fitz were waiting for her in the lab.

“Good morning Ash, it's lovely to see you again.” Jemma put out her hand but Ash flinched slightly. The last thing she wanted was to be touched. For her part Jemma didn’t let her smile drop, just beckoned Ash into the lab. “Fitz, Ash is here, is everything ready?”

“I suppose, as ready as we’ll ever be. If I had a few more days, I could be sure this would work, but I guess it will have to do.”

“I’m sure it will be fine Fitz.” She had reached out and touched Fitz on the shoulder, and Ash saw him relax. Maybe Melinda wasn’t as cold as she thought. Maybe it was just her that made May uncomfortable.

Fitz lead them to a large metal cage.

“You made a Faraday cage.” Ash said, feeling both slightly more at home, and very uncomfortable.

“It seemed like the best course of action, it’ll prevent any damage to our equipment and but still allow us to get readings and visuals.”

“I know, that's how they use to test my powers back at the compound. Kept everyone safe. Well almost everyone.” She touched the scar on the back of her head, a souviner from an early session where she managed to electrocute herself. Ash tried to smile, but the situation was making her uneasy. She did not have many good memories of her testing sessions.

Jemma approached her with a set of electrodes in her hand. “All we need to do today is establish a baseline of your powers, just so we know what we’re dealing with. If you need to stop at any time, just let us know and we can stop. Okay?”

“Okay.” Ash took the electrodes from Jemma. As she got herself ready, Coulson entered the lab followed by Agent Triplett. She like Trip, he had a good smile and a great laugh. He made her feel almost at home. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever see home again. As time passed, it seemed less and less likely.

“Whenever you’re ready Ash.” She heard Coulson say. She simply nodded and walked through the door of the faraday cage and into the large room beyond.

“How do you want me to begin?” She asked.

“Can you turn off the lights?” Coulson asked.

“Easy.” Ash replied, and plunged the room into darkness.

\---

For the next hour or so, Ash went through all the parlour tricks, as Rebecca liked to call them. Levitating objects, warping sound waves, bending light. She even showed them how she could use sound waves to break down a wall. She hoped Coulson was right and that the wall wasn’t load bearing.

She was starting to feel tired, when Jemma unlocked the door and came into the lab.

“Just one more test.” She pulled the white rat out of its cage and held it out to Ash. Ash went white.

“No.” She whispered. “Please don’t make me do this.”

“I don’t want you to kill it, just stop its heart then start it again.”

“Please, Jemma, don’t do this to me.”

“But it's for our readings.” Jemma replied, not understanding Ash’s refusal.

“Just trust me when I say I can.” She said simply. She begun to pull the electrodes off. “Are we done? Can I go know?” She directed her question at Coulson, but didn’t take her eyes off the rat in Jemma’s hands.

“Yes, I think we’ve got all we need for today.” Coulson had barely finished talking when Ash pushed her way past them and bolted out of the room.

\---

Ash barricaded herself in her room, and refused to let anyone in. Coulson tried first, asking her to join him and Melinda for tea. Then Jemma came and apologised. Ash almost opened the door, but she just couldn’t do it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally heard Jemma’s footsteps receded down the hall.

After an hour of quiet, there was a knock on her door and a loud voice, that she couldn’t ignore.

“I know you’re in there Ash, and I’m not leaving until you let me in.” Ash couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. That had to be his superpower. She opened the door a crack and Trip stood smiling at her. “Are you going to let me in or what?”

She opened the door just enough for him to slip inside and closed it behind him quickly.

“I brought you something.” He said, handing her a beer from behind his back.

“You do know I’m not old enough for this.” She said, even as she reached for it.

“Yes, but girl, if anyone ever needed a beer after this morning, it’s you.”

“Thank you.” Ash said as she touched the neck of her bottle to the one he opened for himself.

“You are most welcome.”

\---

He would only let her have two beers. He saidsomething about not wanting to be a bad influence on the future of the country. Maybe that was because he was working on number three.

There was a knock on the door, and it opened before either of them could say anything. a young woman poked her head inside and when she saw Trip she shook her head.

“Somehow I knew I would find you here.” She slipped inside. She put a box down on the corner of Ash’s bed and stuck out her hand.

“I’m Skye. Sorry I wasn’t here to meet you yesterday, I was on a mission.”

“That's okay.” Ash replied, she didn’t know what else to say.

“I brought you a friend.” Skye said as she pulled a small cage out of the box. Inside was the small white rat from earlier. “Jemma is really upset, she didn’t want to make you do anything bad, but sometimes she gets carried away when it comes to science. So when I asked her if we could give you the rat, she said yes without much arguing.”

Ash took the cage and smiled at the rat inside. “I’ve never had a pet before.”

“Well you have to give him a name.” Trip said.

“Tesla.”

“I think Fitz would approve.” Skye replied. “I have to go, debriefings and all that stuff. Will I see you at dinner?”

Ash looked up and gave Skye a small smile. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Cool. Come on Agent Triplett, let's give Ash and Tesla a chance to get to know one another.”

\---

Just before dinner that night, Ash tracked Jemma down in the lab.

“Thank you for Tesla. He’s sweet.”

“I’m so sorry Ash, I never wanted to make you feel bad, I just carried away sometimes.” Jemma replied, peeling off her gloves.

“It's okay. I didn’t realise I was going to react like that.”

“DId they make you do things like that at The Academy?”

“They started me with rats.” Ash didn’t say anything else. But Jemma caught the meaning in the words she didn’t say.

“Oh Ash, that’s horrible.”

“Not the word I would use to describe it, but yeah.” Ash was suddenly uncomfortable again. She really didn’t want to go into detail about some of the things they made her do, the memories still haunted her. “Come on, Trip made lasagna and Skye said to get to the mess early otherwise Mack would eat it all.” Ash grabbed Jemma's hand and pulled her along towards the kitchen.

\---

_September 28_

_It’s been three days since I got here and 5 since I left the compound. I don’t think anyone else has made it this long before. At least from what Rebecca told me._

_That voice in the back of my head keeps warning me not to get too comfortable, but it's getting easier to ignore it. And that kind of worries me. Sometimes I still have the urge to run though. And the nightmares won’t go away_

_Apart from the incident in the lab yesterday, everything seems to be going well. Mack finally let me in the garage. I think he’s worried that I’m going to wreck the cars or something. A couple of years ago I might have, but I’m doing pretty good now. The thing with Skye’s computer was a total accident. If Trip hadn’t of scared me._

_Agent May is always around, but she keeps her distance. Not sure what I did to offend her. So maybe the Mulan joke was in bad taste, but she did smile, ever so slightly._

_It's just sometimes I catch her watching me and she looks sad. Maybe not sad, haunted might be a better word to describe it. Trip keeps saying she’s not cold, and I’ve seen how she is with Fitz and Jemma, so it must be me. Not sure why this is bothering me so much._

_Okay, so maybe I do know why, but really, does everything in my life have to be blamed on mommy issues?_

\---

Early the next morning, after another night of restless sleep, Ash was wandering the halls and came across the gym. Inside Melinda and Bobbi are sparring. She stopped to watch them. They make it seem so effortless she thought. Even on her best day, she could never make her body do the things they could.

Melinda catches her watching and waves her into the gym. “Did they teach you any hand to hand combat at New Brighton?”

“Some. Just the basics though, I wasn’t around long enough to learn more.” Ash replied as she joined them on the mat. “I like Krav Maga though. And my dad was teaching me tai chi before I was sent away.”

“May is our tai chi queen.” Bobbi says grabbing a water bottle. “Up every morning at 5. she’s even convinced a few others to be up that early with her. Crazy morning people.”

“Well, if you ever went to bed before midnight, five am might not be so horrible.”

“I’m up by 6:30 to spar with you almost every morning, so don’t push you luck.” Bobbi laughs and Melinda smiles. Ash thinks she looks pretty when she smiles. “Come on Ash, lets see what you can do.”

Ash glances at the door. For the space of two heartbeats she hesitates. Thinks about running. She knows they wouldn’t stop her, but somewhere deep inside, she’s tired. Tired of running and tired of being afraid. She smiles at Bobbi.

“Okay, sure. I promise to go easy on you.”

“oh you do, do you?” Bobbi raises her eyebrow.

“Yeah I do.”

“Well come at me.” And she does.

\---

Two hours later, after an impromptu training session and repeatedly handing Ash her ass on a platter, Melinda retreats to the showers then to the kitchen for breakfast. She’s not surprised to see Skye there.

“I saw you and Bobbi sparring with Ash this morning. She’s pretty good.”

“Her technique is a bit lacking, but I blame that on not enough training. She is scrappy though.”

“I like how she took Bobbi down, interesting technique.” Skye handed Melinda her mug from the cupboard and poured her some tea.

“Thank you. She’s a brawler, just like Peggy Carter. She could hold her own in a bar fight, that's for sure.” She rubbed her jaw where Ash had gotten a good punch in. “Vicious left hook too.”

“Yeah, I saw that too.” Skye gave Melinda a cocky grin. “I never got that lucky.”

“Have you talked to her about your secret initiative that I know nothing about?”

Skye groaned.

“Coulson lectured me for almost an hour on the importance of being able to keep secrets and how people are and will be depending on me. I tried to explain that I’m perfectly capable of keeping secrets from everyone except you. He didn’t like that.”

“Well you need to start learning.” Skye frowned.

“But, to answer your question, yes. I think she could be an asset. We’d have to talk to her parents first, get permission.”

“Might be difficult. I get the impression that her relationship with her mother isn’t great, and it goes beyond normal teenage angst. I think until we know exactly what happened at New Brighton, I’d be leery of asking her to make a major decision like that.”

“Any idea if those people are still out looking for her.”

“No. It's like they just disappeared. I don’t have a good feeling about it though.”

\---

A picture flashed on the screen behind him. “This is your objective, Ash Miller. She is a deserter and a traitor. 5 days ago she left the Academy and has taken up with SHIELD.” He paced in front of the black clad guards. “Who knows that secrets she’s given up. I want her alive, and mostly unharmed. Kill the rest.

“You’re commanding officers will have your specific assignments. Now move out.”

Rebecca stood at the back of the room and watched as the soldiers filed out.

“More theater?” Rebecca asked after the last guard had left the room.

“No, just getting back what’s mine.” He replied.

“And if she says no? She’s proven to be a stubborn little thing.”

“She won’t.” He said grinning. “She won’t because she won’t have a choice. We’re going to set a trap she’ll walk right into. Use that big heart of her’s against her.”

\---

By the time she could sense them coming, it was too late. Throwing on the previous day’s clothes, she tossed a couple of things in her bag and when she opened the door, she came face to face with Melinda.

“Come on.” was all she said before turning and walking down the hall. Ash followed close behind her.

“Is it the Black Guard?”

“Seems like. They’re on the grounds, but not inside. Atleast not yet.” In the halls there was a sense of controlled chaos. Flashing red lights lit the corridors, but there was no obnoxious klaxxon alarms.

As the came around a corner, they found Coulson breifing a group of guards.

“Is everyone out?”

“Almost. Bobbi took Fitz, Simmons and most of the science department. Mack and Hunter are securing the detention level while Trip and Skye help evacuate the rest.”

“Good. Take Ash and meet them at the rendezvous point.” Melinda nodded and continued towards the garage. Ash followed behind because that was all she could do.

\---

They left the Playground in Mack’s burgundy pick up. Now that they knew that there was people looking them, Mack’s truck offered more invisibility than a big black suv that people could see coming from a mile away. As they drove away, Ash could see quinjets taking off in the rear view mirror.

“Decoys. Give everyone a chance to get away.” was all Melinda said. Ash wanted to ask why she was doing all this to help her, but the words were stuck in her throat. Holding her bag tighter, she slid down in her seat, trying to keep out of sight, just in case.

\---

“What’s wrong? Why do you keep looking behind us?”

“I think we’re being followed.” Melinda said, changing lanes and almost cutting off a minivan in the process. The dark suv changed lanes as well. “Damnit.”

“What do we do now?”

“We can’t go to the rendezvous point with them on our ass. We’ll have to lose them.”

Ash looked back in time to see two more vehicles join the first. She did not have a good feeling about this.

“Hold on, it's going to get bumpy.”

\---

The neon open sign flashed in the window of the motel office.

“For the night?”

“Yes, two beds please. For me and my daughter.” The desk clerk raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he handed over the key.

“207 upstairs. Check out’s 11.”

“Thank you.”

\---

  
The testing room was cold. So cold she swore she could see her breath. Ash had wished she had worn a sweater, but she hadn’t been expecting this. She also wasn’t expecting the audience, but she knew there were people in the observation room. Even if she couldn’t see through the two way glass, she had another way of seeing

“What’s going on?” She asked one of the techs. They ignored her.

“Good afternoon Ash.” The intercom crackled to life. “I’m Director Perdeaux. I hope you don’t mind me looking in on session today.”

“No, it's fine.”

“I want you to act like I’m not even here.” There was something in his voice that made Ash very uncomfortable. She suppressed a shudder and turned her attention to the scientist in charge.

“Just some warm ups, then on to the day’s tests.” She pointed towards table in the middle of the room. “Three different specimens, and all I need you to do is to try and stop their hearts.”

A white rat, a black cat and the third, still covered by a blue sheet. But she knew what was underneath, could tell by the outline. Her blood ran cold.

“I’ll do the cat and the rat, but not the other.” Behind her she heard the sound of a pistol being cocked. Perdeaux’s voice came over the intercom again.

“And what makes you think you have a choice?”

\---

She woke screaming. A firm hand on her shoulder almost made her jump off the bed. Turning, she saw Melinda regarding her calmly.

“Nightmare?”

“Yeah.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Okay.” As soon as Melinda stood up, Ash bolted to the bathroom. She resisted the urge to throw up, but just barely. Her chest was tight and her fingers burned with stray energy. She wanted to scream, but ran the shower instead.

\---

For a hotel that was known to rent by the hour, it wasn’t horrible. Atleast the sheets were clean and there was plenty of hot water.

Twenty minutes later, Ash was calm enough to get out of the shower. Melinda was still sitting on her bed when she finally left the bathroom. She handed Ash a styrofoam cup of tea and two yellow pills.

“To help you sleep.”

“Thanks.” She downed the pills with the tea. Camomile, just like her dad would make her when she was little and couldn’t sleep. She climbed back in bed and May turned off the light.

Even as the tea and pills started, Ash resisted. Her eyes traced the cracks in the ceiling.

“Why do you hate me May?”

She listened to Melinda moving under her sheets. She wasn’t sure if she had turned towards or away from her. Either way she kept her eyes on the ceiling.

“I don’t hate you.” The reply took so long to come, Ash wondered if Melinda had fallen asleep or was simply ignoring her. “Why do you think that?”

“You’ve barely said two words to me all day that weren’t an order. You always look disappointed when you look at me. I’m sorry that you got stuck babysitting me.” Ash wanted to sound angry, but the lump in her throat just made her sound sad.

“I didn’t get stuck babysitting you. I told Coulson I would look after you. He didn’t want me too, but I didn't give him much of a choice.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because you remind me of someone.” She heard Melinda sigh. “Several years ago, I was on a mission in Bahrain. There was a girl. Her name was Katya. She had powers like you. I wanted to protect her. I tried to protect her.”

“And did you?”

“No.” there was a long pause. “Then you came crashing into my world, a second chance. I can’t fail you as well.”

They both lie in their beds in silence. Ash turned on her side and saw Melinda watching her.

“I’m sorry about Katya.” She could feel the pills really taking hold, but she kept talking. There was something she had to tell Melinda.

“They made me kill someone. His name was Bryan, we had classes together. He was really doped up when they brought him to me, but I was still the one who killed him. Stopped his heart. I see his eyes every night when I sleep. I never found out why they wanted him dead. But I knew I had to leave. Promise me I don’t have to go back.”

“Not on my watch.”

\---

“Housekeeping.” There was a loud knock on the door that made them both jump. Melinda looked at her watch. There was no way the housekeeper would be working so early.

“Housekeeping.” The voice said again. Melinda pushed Ash towards the bathroom.

“Don’t come out until I tell you too.”

With the bathroom door firmly shut and locked, Melinda made her way towards the door, pulling her pistol from its holster as she moved. She opened the door just a crack.

“No service today, thanks.”

“I figured you’d say that.” Melinda finally placed the terrible british accent.

“You know one would think your accent would be better, you married a Brit.”

“Well no one’s perfect, not even me.” Bobbi grabbed some things off the housekeeping cart. “Are you going to let me in?”

\---

“When you hadn’t arrived at the rendezvous after a couple of hours, we started to worry. Mack is pissed you took his truck by the way.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“What happened?”

“We were on our way to you, but we were ambushed. Since we couldn’t make it there, I figured the best thing to do was to go dark. Get to the city, and Stark. Go from there.”

“Good plan, but you got pinned down here.”

“Yeah. I was working on a plan when you showed up.”

“Well, it's good that I’m here then.” Bobbi grinned as she looked. “Where’s Ash?”

Melinda knocked on the bathroom door. “It's okay to come out now.”

“You doing okay?” Bobbi asked, taking in the dark circles under Ash’s eyes.

“Yeah. Didn’t sleep well.”

“Can’t say I blame you.”

“Any word from Coulson?” Melinda asked, trying to keep the conversation on track.

“Heard from Koenig on one of the secret channels. They’ve been captured, but The Black Guards haven’t done anything yet. It's like they’re waiting for something, or someone.”

“Perdeaux. They’re waiting for Perdeaux.”

“That’s not a name I’m familiar with.” Melinda said.

“He’s in charge of The Black Guards, and the Academy. He’s the one that’s after me.”

\---

“do you understand your assignment?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Don’t fail me. You know what happens to those who fail me.”

“Yes Sir.”

\---

“He wanted me to take down a plane. He wanted me to murder hundreds of innocent people to prove I was worthy of his time. That’s why I ran. I already had one death on my hands, I couldn’t have anymore.” Ash kept her hands in her lap so she could stop them from shaking.

“Could you have done it?” Bobbi asked, sitting down next to her.

“Maybe, but not likely. I mean my powers are strong, but not that strong. Although with the threat of death hanging over my head, who knows what could have happened.”

\---

“Rebecca, you have to help me.” It was late and Ash was knocking frantically at her door.

“Ash, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?” She opened her door and let Ash in.

“Director Perdeaux came to see me after dinner. He gave me an assignment. But I can’t do it. You have to help me, I don’t want to die.”

“Are you asking for my help to run away?”

“Maybe you could talk to him, get him to change his mind?”

“You’d have better luck running.” Rebecca stated firmly. “Listen to me carefully. I can help you if this is what you want. But you have to be sure, because once you’re off the grounds, you’re on your own. Okay?”

Ash nodded. “Curfew is in 40 minutes. Meet me in the west wing, by the pool, in 30. I’ll have everything you need.”

\---

“They have to be tracking you.” Bobbi said. “How else would they keep finding you?”

“Ash, your phone?”

“Burner. I bought it after I left.”

“Implant?” Bobbi suggested.

“They tried, but I keep shorting them out.”

They stared at each other for a few moments before Ash suddenly had a sinking thought.”

“Oh my god.”

“What is it?” Melinda asked.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time, but she was awfully quick to mention running.” Ash said as she rummaged through the pockets of her bag. “She gave me this. It opened all the doors I needed to get through.” She passed the key to Melinda.

It was about twice as thick as the plastic room key the guy on the desk had given her. It looked like any other high security access key card. Melinda had seen them all the time at SHIELD.

“Did you scan it?”

“Yeah, but I got nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Let me see that.” Bobbi held out her hand. Taking a knife from her back pocket, she pried the two halves apart. “I’ve never seen the inside of one of these before, but I’m pretty sure that’s not suppose to be there.”

In the middle of the key, was a microchip, covered by a square of dense plastic.

“That bitch. She was working with him all along.” One of the bedside lamps shorted out. “No wonder I couldn’t sense it. They hid it behind the world's smallest faraday cage. He’s known where I’ve been all along. What the fuck is he waiting for?”

“I don’t know, but I know what to do about this.” Bobbi said, shoving the key in her back pocket. “Give us 20 minutes and then run like hell. We’ll meet you at the tower. Just be careful with the truck, its Mack’s baby.”

“Bobbie, no.” Ash moved to stop her, but Melinda held her back.

“It's okay, she’s got this.”

“Don’t worry I’m not alone, Trip’s out back with our ride.” She gave them a smile and a wink, then she was out the door like a shot.

\---

Melinda watched as Ash paced the small room. 10 minutes to go, and she starting to worry about Ash’s mental state

“Ash?” She asked. Ash stopped mid stride, but didn’t look at her. “It's going to be okay. We’ll figure this out. But you have to keep it together. ”

“How can you say that? You have no idea what Perdeaux wants, what he’s capable of. Aren’t you afraid of what might happen to Coulson?”

“From the things you told me, I have a pretty good idea of what he’s capable of. But I can tell you, he’s no different from so many other bad people we’ve dealt with in the past. And Coulson is more than able to take care of himself.”

“Why me May?” Ash finally met her eyes. She was pale and scared. Melinda resisted the urge to go to her and hug her. “Why is he doing this to me?”

“I don’t know Ash. He probably doesn’t have a reason.”

“No, there has to be.” She sat down heavily on the end of the bed. “They had lots of chances to kill me, I’m not that great of a runner. So why am I still alive?”

Melinda just shook her head. “I don’t know.” She glanced down at her watch. “Time to go. Stay close.”

\---

The streets were still quiet in the early morning. Melinda drove just on the cautious side of too fast. It didn’t seem like they were being followed, but she didn’t want to take the chance.

“So where exactly are we going?” Ash asked, glancing behind them for the tenth or eleventh time.

“Avengers Tower. I have a friend who works for Stark. She’s going to help us.” Melinda didn’t elaborate on their plans to take The Playground back and resuce Coulson and the other survivors.

“Any chance I could meet Captain America?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Melinda smiled at her.

“Okay. I think after the week I’ve been having I deserve something nice to happen.”

“Yes you do.”

“So, can I ask a question?”

“Sure.”

“What’s really the deal with you guys? I thought SHIELD was disbanded after the whole thing with the helicarriers and Hydra.”

“It was, sort of. It's kind of complicated. Director Fury knew that the world still needs a group like SHIELD, so he gave us the tools we needed to start over, rebuild SHIELD into the organization Peggy Carter and Howard Stark had invisioned. Rebuild on the original foundation of protection.”

“Protection from people like me?” Ash stared out the window.

“No, to protect people like you. Make the world better for everyone. It hasn’t been easy, but I believe we’ll get there.”

“How do you have so much faith May?” She asked. “How to you make yourself believe things will get better?”

“I have to. If i didn’t, I might just lay down and never get up again.”

\---

When Melinda’s cell phone rang, it startled them both. Glancing at the display, she noticed that it was Coulson. She hoped that he was calling to tell her that things at The Playground had sorted themselves out, and it was safe for them to go back.

“This is May.”

“Let me talk to the girl, I know she’s with you.” The voice on the other end was definitely not Coulson.

“No, I’m not going to do that.”

“My dear, you are not in any position to negotiate, not if you don’t want your director’s brains all over the wall in his office. It would ruin the resale value.”

“Fine.” Melinda said through gritted teeth. She switched the phone over to speaker.

“Ash, my dear girl, you’ve had your fun, but it's time for you to come home.” The voice gave Ash a sick shiver down her spine, but she shook her head.

“Not happening. You can’t make me come back.”

“Oh, but I can. Here’s what is going to happen. You are going to turn your vehicle around, and you are going to come back to this lovely base. I’ll give you until noon. Lots of time to get back here. But if you’re not back by then, I’ll start killing people. One person for every 10 minutes you’re late. I know how devastated you’d be to have all those deaths on you head, and trust me, they would all be your fault. See you soon.”

There was a couple of beeps and Perdeaux was gone.

\---

“No, we are not going back.”

“He’s going to kill everyone, including Coulson. But I can stop it from happening. May please.” Ash pleaded. “Let me protect them.”

It was like she said a magic word. Melinda’s shoulders sagged, and she sighed resigned. “Okay, but we do this my way, and you don’t leave my sight, do you understand?”

“Yes, I promise.” Ash felt her stomach flip a little at the lie, but she hoped, that when it was all over Melinda would understand and forgive her.

\---

They went through the front door. Since they were expected, Melinda didn’t see a point in sneaking in.

They confiscated her side arm when she got out of the truck, but that was all. Two guards, their face behind masks lead them out of the garage and down into the Playground.

There wasn’t much evidence of a fight, so either they had cleaned up, or Coulson had surrendered without much of a fight. Melinda didn’t like either of those options.

“You can wait in here until the director is ready for you.” One of the guards held open a door and all but pushed the two of them inside.

Ash was surprised and relieved to see Coulson sitting on a chair. He looked a little bit battered, but okay. He was equally surprised to see them.

“Dammit May. You shouldn't have come back.”

“I didn’t give her a choice. No one else is going to get hurt because of me.” Ash replied, bending down to check out the gash above Coulson’s eye.

“What happened? IT doesn’t look like there was much of a fight.” May asked.

“Not really, they had gas grenades, used them to overpower us. It was over before it began really. Perdeaux only showed up about an hour before he called. Said that unless we gave him back what was his, he’d kill us all.”

“He probably still will though. Too many witnesses. Can’t have that.” Rebecca walked into the room like she owned it.

“And you told me you would never lie to me.” Ash said, straightening to look her in the eyes.

“Really Ash, you are far too trusting.” She said with a smirk. “Come along, he’s waiting for you. I suppose you can bring your watch dog along. It won’t matter in the end.”

Melinda bristled at the remark, but said nothing, just followed Rebecca out of the room. As soon as they got through the lab doors, Melinda jumped Rebecca and subdued her easily.

“Ash. let's go. You don’t have to do this.”

“I’m so sorry for this May.” The punch connected with her jaw and she went down. Melinda had forgotten about Ash’s left hook.

\---

She wasn’t knocked out, just dazed, but by the time her head was clear, the door to the faraday cage was firmly locked, there was no way she could easliy get to Ash and Perdeaux.

They circled each other in the lab. Looking closely, she could see Ash’s hands shake, but she seemed to be holding herself together. Perdeaux on the other hand looked calm and collected. Melinda wondered if he really had any idea what he was up against.

“Why me Perdeaux? Why put me through all this? Why not kill me when you had the chance?”

“My dear girl, the last thing I want to do is to kill you. You’re so powerful, so precious.” The way he talked, the tone he used made her skin crawl. Her fingers started to tingle, gathering the static energy of the lab around them.

“Is this where you go all Darth Vader on me and tell me you’re my father?”

“Would it make a difference?”

“No. I already have a father.” She replied. “And I’m not going back to your fucking school. Not ever.”

“But where else can you go? Do you think the Xavier school will take you in? You’re a killer.”

“And who made me one?” Ash asked, gathering more energy. The lights began to flicker and go out.

“You made the decision to kill that young man, not us.”

“Hard to make the right decision when someone has a gun to your back.”

“There is always a choice my dear girl.”

“My name is Ash, not dear girl you asshole.” She flicked a finger in Perdeaux’s direction and he convulsed, falling down onto his knees. He started gasping for breath. “I’ve just made your lungs stop working like they should. It won’t kill you, at least not yet. But how does it feel knowing I could kill you at any time?”

“Ash! Stop this. Don’t make him right.” Melinda’s voice was desperate, her hands shaking, which made picking the lock harder then normal.

“Someone has to make him pay Melinda. Pay for all the things he’s done. The people who’ve been hurt by him.” Another gesture and Perdeaux was able to breath again. “How long did you torture him before you brought him to me? How long should I draw this out? You don’t deserve an easy death.”

Reaching out, she touched his shoulder and his heart started beating out of rhythm. He grabbed her wrist and twisted it. Ash yelped in pain, he laughed. “I knew you had this in you. Under that big bleeding heart of your’s there was a killer all along. Just like the rest of them.”

Pulling her hand away, Ash moved out of his radius. The lights above them were starting to short out, energy jumping from machine to machine. Ash gathered it in her hands.

“If I’m a killer, then I am what you made me. It's probably fitting that it ends here for you.”

A hand on her shoulder made her hesitate.

“Ash, stop this.” Melinda stood next to her.

“May no, you have to leave. You have to let me do this.”

“No, I don’t. I said I would protect you. And I will, even if that means protecting you from yourself.” Reaching out, she took Ash’s hands. Ash’s face crumbled into a soundless cry as her body was racked by sobs. Melinda took her into her arms and held her as she cried.

\---

When she woke, Ash turned her head and was surprised to see Melinda doing paperwork in the chair next to the bed.

“Hey.” Melinda looked up and smiled.

“Hey yourself sleepy head.”

“How long was I out?”

“About 30 hours. We had to sedate you. Jemma was concerned about the amount to electromagnetic energy your body absorbed. Your vitals were off for quite some time. I don’t really understand it, but I trust her. How do you feel?” She poured Ash a glass of water, which she took gratefully.

“Sore. Like I’ve gone a few rounds against Andre the Giant. And hungry.”

“Hunger is a good sign.”

“Where’s Perdeaux?”

“Getting comfortable in the detention block, waiting for a transfer a different shadowy government deapartment. We don’t want him here any longer than necessary. Don’t worry, he’s not going to hurt you again.”

“And the Academy? What happens to all the kids?”

“We’ve been liaising with the Xavier school. They’re going to take as many as they can. They’ve offered you a spot, if you want it.”

“Oh.” Ash wasn’t sure what to think. She had no idea what she wanted anymore.  
“They’re not expecting an answer right away. It more important you get well first.”

“A shower and something to eat would help with that. Help a girl out?” She grinned at Melinda.

“Okay, but if Jemma catches us, this was all your idea.”

\---

Bobbi poked her head in Ash’s doorway. “There’s someone here to see you.”

“Who?”

“It's a surprise.” Was all Bobbi would say as they made their way down the hall to Coulson’s office. Inside, talking to the director was a man with dark brown hair that was greying at the temples. Ash pushed the door open.

“Daddy?”

“Ash!” He replied, picking her up into a big bear hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Coulson and Bobbi left the office, leaving father and daughter to their reunion.

\---

“You know you can come back any time. We could use someone like you around here.” Skye told her for about the tenth time.

“I know, and thank you, but I think Xavier’s is where I need to be, for a little while anyways.” Ash said, hefting her bag onto her shoulder before giving Skye a hug.

She had said most of her goodbyes already. Her father was waiting for her down in the garage. But she hadn’t been able to find Melinda. She really hoped that she wasn’t avoiding her again.

Ash eventually found her in the kitchen.

“My dad’s here. I have to go.” Ash said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She didn’t expect it to be so hard.

“I have something for you.” She said, handing a tin to Ash. “Chamomile, for the nightmares.”

“Thank you.” Ash said, shoving the tea into her bag. “I mean it. I never would have made it through this without you. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it, but I don’t know how else to repay you.”

“Live a good life. That’s how you can repay me.” Melinda said smiling. She was still one of the most beautiful people to Ash when she smiled.

“You haven’t seen the last of me. I’ll be back.”

“Of that I have no doubt.”

“And I’ll write you. You don’t have to write me back though.”

“I will.”

“I gotta go.”

“Okay.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Ash turned and was about to take a step when she changed her mind. Turning around, she hugged Melinda tightly and didn’t let go for a long time.

\---

_December 11th_

_Dear Melinda,_

_How are things at the playground? I saw a story on the news about and attack on a military base. I hope you’re all okay._

_Things are going well. I’m finally starting to feel at home, and I’m making friends. It's still hard to get close to people, but I’m working on it. And speaking of working on it, my mom has agreed to family therapy. I have no expectations, so we’ll see how it goes._

_The nightmares are still there, but not as often. Thanks again for the tea, its helped alot. I heard from Coulson that Perdeaux has been locked up permanently, and I have to admit that helps too. Not happy that Rebecca got off so lightly, but I’m glad you’re keeping an eye on her._

_I should probably go. Homework and all that fun stuff. Insert sarcastic voice here. Say hi to everyone for me. I miss you._

_Ash_

_Ps: Logan told me to remind you that you owe him 20 bucks and a case of beer. He said you would know why._

Melinda smiled as she tucked the letter next to the others in her desk drawer.

_Dear Ash,_

_Please tell Logan that he can go suck an egg. I won that bet fair and square._

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this before the new season of Agents of SHIELD started, and it was canon divergent then, and even more so now. You can have Trip when you pry him from my cold dead hands Marvel :D


End file.
